Hi I just joined my first private tracker (torrentleech). I found something in the wish list which I have. I’d like to seed it to start out on a good foot. Are there any good guides on that? I’ve tried in the past and utterly failed, I’m hoping it’s easier to start a seed on a private tracker?
Welcome to the private tracker community! It is a lovely place to be.
I personally am not a member of torrentleech but here is some advice to get you started!
1. Make use of the bonus points system
Typically most private trackers have some sort of economy in which permaseeding is rewarded with points. These points can then be used to buy upload credit to improve your ratio.
2. Download freeleech content
Often they also have freeleech content that does not count towards you download (thus preserving your ratio). Most trackers require you maintain a certain ratio. At first you can just manually search or download new freeleech content. Eventually, you may want to set up autobrr to automatically download new freeleech torrents. Other users have provided helpful links to get you started. Keep in mind as you explore other trackers some do not allow autobrr to be used.
3. Get connectable
The need for a VPN is not always as crucial as it is for public torrents. That being said, sometimes it is difficult to get connectable (forward ports) on your home network. Thus some users use a VPN such as AirVPN that allow port forwarding. You don’t need to be connectable to seed, however you are unable to seed to other non-connectable users (thus decreasing your upload potential).
4. Avoid the forums and chat
This advice is often over said and most of the time the forums and chat are pretty decent. It comes from the odd power hungry moderator getting a bit too ban happy. However, what I will say is avoiding the chat and forums is not a terrible idea if you are not too familiar with the sites rules. Sometimes they are very specific and can get you if your not paying attention.
5. Upload content once you are familiar with the site
Once you feel comfortable with the above, uploading can really help your ratio. Make sure you follow all the rules of torrentleech if you are going to upload. Often private trackers have very strict and stringent rules. This is why I generally don’t recommend uploading if you’re new to the whole torrents scene.
Typically, the uploading process goes something like this. Create the
.torrentfile using qbittorrent or something similar. Make sure you mark the torrent as private in the creation tool and include your unique tracker url (you get this from the private tracker). Upload the.torrentfile and actual file to your seedbox (or if you’re just seeding from the computer begin seeding once you create the torrent). Sometimes you need to do a force recheck to get it seeding. Then you upload the torrent to the private tracker and add relevant metadata. Force re-announce the torrent on qbittorrent and it usually shows up. You will need to be connectable to upload.Thank you, very helpful!